Beginning in the early 20th century, abstract art became a leading style of modernism. Rather than portray the world in a way that represented reality, as had been the dominating style of Western art in the previous centuries, abstract paintings, prints and sculptures are marked by a shift to geometric forms, gestural shapes and experimentation with color to express ideas, subject matter and scenes.
Although abstract art flourished in the early 1900s, propelled by movements like Fauvism and Cubism, it was rooted in the 19th century. In the 1840s, J.M.W. Turner emphasized light and motion for atmospheric paintings in which concrete details were blurred, and Paul Cézanne challenged traditional expectations of perspective in the 1890s.
Some of the earliest abstract artists — Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint — expanded on these breakthroughs while using vivid colors and forms to channel spiritual concepts. Painter Piet Mondrian, a Dutch pioneer of the art movement, explored geometric abstraction partly owing to his belief in Theosophy, which is grounded in a search for higher spiritual truths and embraces philosophers of the Renaissance period and medieval mystics. Black Square, a daringly simple 1913 work by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, was a watershed statement on creating art that was free “from the dead weight of the real world,” as he later wrote.
Surrealism in the 1920s, led by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim and others, saw painters creating abstract pieces in order to connect to the subconscious. When Abstract Expressionism emerged in New York during the mid-20th century, it similarly centered on the process of creation, in which Helen Frankenthaler’s expressive “soak-stain” technique, Jackson Pollock’s drips of paint, and Mark Rothko’s planes of color were a radical new type of abstraction.
Conceptual art, Pop art, Hard-Edge painting and many other movements offered fresh approaches to abstraction that continued into the 21st century, with major contemporary artists now exploring it, including Anish Kapoor, Mark Bradford, El Anatsui and Julie Mehretu.
Find original abstract paintings, sculptures, prints and other art on 1stDibs.
$1,117
Archiver, Jeremy Morgan, Original Abstract Geometric Painting, Affordable Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Archiver [2020] original Acrylic and emulsion on cradled plywood panel Image size: H:40 cm x W:27 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:27 cm x D:4cm Sold Unframed Plea...
Plywood, Emulsion, Acrylic, Panel
$240Sale Price|60% Off
Lake house, 80х80cm, print on canvas.Edition of 20 pieces
Located in Yerevan, AM
Edition of 20 pieces
Canvas, Color
$240Sale Price|60% Off
Lake house, 80х80cm, print on canvas.Edition of 20 pieces
Located in Yerevan, AM
Limited edition of 5 pieces
Canvas, Color
Erotic YOBITSUGI STYLE VASE by Aaron Scythe
By Aaron Scythe
Located in Morton Grove, IL
YOBITSUGI STYLE VASE (INV# NP2717) Aaron Scythe porcelain, clay, underglaze, glaze 8 x 6 x 6” 2020 This vase is made of several different vases, cut apart and enameled back together!
Porcelain, Stoneware, Glaze
Bold Abstract Latin American Screenprint Scarf Textile Art Print Josep Guinovart
Located in Surfside, FL
This is a thin cotton (that is my best estimate. it does not feel like silk) scarf, woven textile, fabric piece. It is signed in the print and hand numbered. Josep Guinovart (1927 ...
Textile
$375Sale Price|25% Off
Series "Shells", 42 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
Series "Shells", 42 x 30 cm The work is sold without a frame and mat
Paper, Acrylic
PONDERING, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
"I'm so proud of how this piece turned out. It’s wonderful when a painting comes together like I’d hoped." The composition is dynamic and fluid, with no fixed top or bott...
Acrylic
The Whale Watch Scarf
By Frank Stella
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Frank Philip Stella (born May 12, 1936) is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. Stella lives and works in New York City. This hand signed silk textile scarf work is acquired directly from the publisher. Extremely uncommon to find this piece in new condition and comes in the original red silk box. This art piece can be framed and hung on the wall or be a worn as a wearable art piece. This dazzling, large, hand signed, silkscreen on 100% Italian silk shawl was created by Frank Stella in collaboration with his longtime publisher Kenneth Tyler of the famed Tyler Graphics Studio. "The Whale Watch...
Textile, Silk, Digital
The Basque Suite #4
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprinton J. B. Green paper, 1970-71. Initialed by the artist and numbered 85/150 in pencil, lower right. Printed by Kelpra Studio, London. Published by Marlborough Graph...
Screen, Color
Blue Swirl 1 - Abstract Minimalist Ink Flowy Painting on French Linen Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses dynamism and sensuality in her paintings: “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, flowers, and people in motion, capturing th...
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
Lost in the blue hues, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The shipping is free for the rolled canvas. If you would like it ready to hang, please contact me with your zip code for a shipping quote. Abstract multicolored horizontal painti...
Acrylic
$2,100
L26
By Hans Hartung
Located in New York, NY
Color lithograph on Rives BFK wove paper, 1957. Signed by the artist in pencil, lower right margin, and numbered 96/100 in pencil, lower left margin. Published by Hedwig Marbach, B...
Lithograph, Color
Accountability, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
- Title - Accountability - Medium: water-miscible oil paint and acrylic on canvas - Support: stretched canvas, ready to hang, painted sides. - Size: 36" x 40" x 1.5" - Two coats ...
Acrylic
$20,000
State of Mind, Contemporary Woven Tapestry, Geometric Abstract Textile Sculpture
By Ane Henriksen
Located in Wilton, CT
State of Mind, Contemporary Woven Tapestry, Abstract Textile Wall Sculpture, Viscosed silk, cotton cloth, jersey dots, 102” x 95”, 2016 by textile artist, Ane Henriksen...
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Cotton, Silk
$6,500
"Arctic", Vintage Glass Sculpture, Reclaimed Victorian Glass, 15x12x6 in.
Located in Westport, CT
Resurrect Studio, “Arctic,” Vintage Glass Sculpture, 15 x 12 x 6 in. “Arctic” is a luminous vintage glass sculpture by Resurrect Studio, the collaborative practice of Nancy Wu and J...
Glass, Resin
Blue abstract no. 3124 Beyond the sea, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
„The sea! the sea! the open sea! The blue, the fresh, the ever free!â€
Acrylic
Zone, vibrant, jewel-like, diaphanous strips of fabric collages
Located in New York, NY
Linda Kamille Schmidt plays with emotional connections and memory in her smaller, framed works. In their encasements, each collage appears as a portal; a...
Fabric, Thread, Plastic, Pins
"Security Blanket" hanging embroidered paper collage tapestry, geometric
By Kelly Kozma
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Security Blanket" is an original work by American artist Kelly Kozma made from hand-cut security envelopes, hand-stitched together with embroidery th...
Thread, Paper
Yvaral Lithograph "Structure géométrique 1" 1974.
By Yvaral (Jean-Pierre Vasarely)
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Yvaral Lithograph Structure géométrique 1 Signed in pencil Numbered 209/225 Circa 1974 59x64 cms 950 euros
Paper
Abstract in Brown Tones
Located in Milford, NH
A fine abstract in brown tones by American artist David Lund (b. 1925). David Lund’s illustrious painting career spans over 65 years. Born in New York, the...
Canvas, Oil
Voltage Bloom, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
****This painting will be shipped ready to hang to USA and Canada only. Outside Continental North America it will be shipped rolled in a long sturdy box. If you do not live in North ...
Oil
Raimon, 2 LPs, Cançons De La Roda Del Temps and Quan L'aigua Es Queixa
By Joan Miró
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Raimon, Quan L'aigua Es Queixa, 1979 RCA Victor – PL-35230 Salvador Espriu / Raimon – Cançons De La Roda Del Temps, 1966 Edigsa – CM 164 L Raimon and Joan Miró were close friends th...
Lithograph, Offset
$39,600
Sapphire Coral Bohemian Crystal Sculpture, Multicolor, Abstract, 2025, 67cm
Located in Miami, FL
Sapphire Coral Bohemian Crystal Sculpture, Multicolor, Abstract, 2025, 67cm Bohemian Crystal 67cm x 21cm A striking original sculpture by Czech master Jaroslav Prošek, crafted in l...
Glass
Yin & Yang #2 - Large Scale Modern Textural Abstract Original Painting on Canvas
By Zabel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Guided by her passion for life and her spirit, French Canadian painter Zabel creates vibrant artworks filled with romance and immersive textures. With a belief that art is all about ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Untittle, 110x105 cm, acrylic, canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Untittle, 110x105 cm, acrylic, canvas
Paper, Pastel, Acrylic
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary boats, Boats Astore.
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
Boats Astore," an exquisite masterpiece crafted by the talented artist Koko Hovagumian, invites viewers into a serene maritime scene where creativity and subtlety converge. The title...
Oil
Floating Lightly, Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas, 80 x 60 cm, 2024
Located in London, GB
Neda Dana-Haeri Floating Lightly, 2024 Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cm 31 1/2 x 23 5/8 in
Canvas, Oil
Home Is Like the Robin's Nest, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Jennifer Ross paints a sunny and cheerful still life of a robin’s nest occupied with three eggs. Nestled within a carefully woven nook of grass and twigs, three blue eggs appear within its dark recesses. The nest is set against a white surface cut by a bright complementing yellow hue. “Robin’s egg blue is one of the most beautiful colors found in nature, and one found on my palette,†says Jennifer.
About the Artist
Artist Jennifer Ross creates intimate portraits of birds, nests and horses. Jennifer grew up surrounded by the art of her mother and grandfather. Her attempt to follow in their footsteps presented detours, however, and she ended up working in art galleries selling other's work. But her desire to paint continued to grow throughout the years. In 2008, a gift certificate...
Oil
Walking the Loop, Harriet Hoult, Affordable Contemporary Abstract Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Harriet Hoult Walking The Loop Limited Edition Giclee Print Edition of 250 Sheet Size: 91cm, x 63cm Signed by the artsit Sold Unframed Free Shipping Walking the Loop is a limited ed...
Paper, Giclée
$399Sale Price|25% Off
Male , 40x30 cm, acrylic on paper, marker
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
Male , 40x30 cm, acrylic on paper, marker The work is sold without a frame and mat
Paper, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
Bhutan Abstraction with Black - 1
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unframed, signed, limited edition pigment print by world renown artist Ricardo Mazal exists in an edition of 30. Paper size is 35 inches h x 30 inches w with an image size of 26 inches h x 27 inches w. Born in Mexico City in 1950, Ricardo Mazal moved to Barcelona Spain in 1986, and since 1990 has lived and worked in New York City, as well as Santa Fe New Mexico. Mazal’s work explores the process of visual perception as it takes form in the human consciousness. His paintings depict the passage of time, not by illustrating events but by leaving their residue to dissipate in space like a still photograph of a speeding object blurred to abstraction. In the last decade he has been honored with ten individual museum exhibitions, including a retrospective at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City and the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MARCO) in Monterrey. He has also shown at the Museo Nacional de Anthropologia, Mexico City and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. KORA follows the direction begun by La Tumba de La Reina Roja (The tomb of the Red Queen...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$2,500
Revival 43 - Original Layered Muted Colors Abstract Modern Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rachel Taggart’s abstract paintings explore the way light passes through color and creates a sense of depth. Diluted acrylic washes settle into the raw canvas in translucent layers, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$33,000
Square in the Sky Contemporary Geometric Abstraction, Acrylic on Wood Panel 2024
By Ron Agam
Located in Miami, FL
Square in the Sky Contemporary Geometric Abstraction, Acrylic on Wood Panel 2024 84 x 84 inch Square in the Sky by Ron Agam is a vibrant exploration of color, geometry, and visual r...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$6,300
Tim Harding, Brushstroke on Celadon, Abstract Silk Textile Art, 48 x 52, Signed
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Cut and Dyed Silk After working in painting and photography, Tim Harding became intrigued with the intimacy of fiber and textiles: their textural, tactile richness, the inherent gri...
Silk, Dye
Gambling Clouds, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"When starting a work the most overlooked detail is the size of the canvas," says artist Benjamin Thomas. He explains why the size of his canvases has recentl...
Acrylic
Solar Imp
Located in New York, NY
Screenprint in colors on wove paper. Signed by the artist in pencil and also numbered 96/126 in pencil. Published by Lincoln Center List Poster and Print Program, New York. Second ...
Screen, Color
$4,000
Vortex Engravings: 4 Limited Edition Plates in box (COA signed by Frank Stella)
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Frank Stella Vortex Engravings #5 - 8: Gift Box of Four Limited Edition Porcelain Plates with COA hand signed by Frank Stella and David Mirvish, 2000 Suite of four (4) Fine Bone Chin...
Ceramic, Porcelain, Mixed Media, Screen
"Azure Fade" Contemporary Abstract Painting
Located in New York, NY
72"x48" acrylic and oil on canvas, signed on reverse by the artist. This is a contemporary abstract painting by the New York/ Hawaiian artist, Debra Drexler. A cool blue pool of col...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,165
Firepit Flame - Diameter 55cm - Unique Modern Outdoor Ornament - Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
This fireball is the eye-catcher in your garden. Thanks to the good air supply, you can very quickly a beautiful fir. The base also serves as an ash container, has a central base, b...
Steel
Pine Trees in the Mountains, After the Rain, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Suren travels extensively, seeking out unique compositions in the neighborhoods, architecture and nature he encounters. For Suren, it is important for him to ...
Oil
$3,475
Untitled
Located in New York, NY
This sophisticated sculpture was realized from lymed French oak circa 1950. The perimeter of the piece consists of a mosaic of rectilinear blocks, while the interior rectangular pane...
Oak
Apples in Sunlight, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Apples on a branch glow in warm light, accentuated by the cool abstract backdrop. Sherri applied paint primarily with a palette knife. She says that because o...
Oil
Pinky, Oil Painting
By Judy Mackey
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A warm impressionist still life of pink peonies against a pink backdrop. "Soft, happy colors are what I envisioned," says artist Judy Mackey. "I created the u...
Oil
Blue Dance, Original Painting
By Robin Okun
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An expressionist portrait of relationships as a dance. Dominant blue palette with hints of red, purple and pink that offers both cal...
Acrylic
$7,000
Serie de los Rosas, Large Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Painting Oil 2015
Located in Miami, FL
Serie de los Rosas, Large Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Painting Oil 2015 This painting by Rebecca Mendoza is compelling for its quiet intensity and its confident use of restr...
Canvas, Oil
prismatic evolution - Abstract Framed Mixed Media Sculptural Paper Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Krista Reuter's contemporary paper sculpture artworks unfold like a quiet study in light, shadow, texture, and dimensional abstraction. Hand-cut and layered with meticulous precision...
Paint, Paper, Mixed Media, Color Pencil
Gold Moss - Contemporary Framed Minimalist Green Abstract Painting on Canvas
By Clara Berta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Berta’s acrylic and mixed-media paintings blend texture and color to create harmony, mystery, and depth on the painted surface. Her paintings transform spaces into Zen environm...
Canvas, Acrylic
Candlestick Flames - 95cm - Unique Modern Outdoor Ornament - Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Unusual candle holder in a flame design. The rusted and lacquered candle holder stands on an oxidized oak stele. Size/dimensions/weight Total height: approx. 95 cm Width: approx. 15...
Steel
Candlestick Flames - 115cm - Unique Modern Outdoor Ornament - Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Unusual candle holder in a flame design. The rusted and lacquered candle holder stands on an oxidized oak stele. Size/dimensions/weight: Total height: approx. 115 cm Width: approx. ...
Steel
Candlestick Flames - 145cm - Unique Modern Outdoor Ornament - Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Unusual candle holder in a flame design. The rusted and lacquered candle holder stands on an oxidized oak stele. Size/dimensions/weight: Total height: approx. 145 cm Width: approx. ...
Steel
Indoor Lamp - Blue Virus small - Modern Outdoor Ornament
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Our Virus luminaire is a spherical luminaire on pedestals with a color filter attachment for indoor use. The tubular sectional steel has been arranged as a sphere, casting different ...
Steel
$1,165
Firepit Flame - Diameter 55cm - Unique Modern Outdoor Ornament - Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
This fireball is the eye-catcher in your garden. Thanks to the good air supply, you can very quickly a beautiful fir. The base also serves as an ash container, has a central base, b...
Steel
$35,000
Sandstorm, Post-Modern Abstract Landscape Woven Tapestry, Textile Sculpture
Located in Wilton, CT
Sandstorm (1985) Wool, Post-Modern Abstract Landscape Woven Tapestry, Textile Sculpture. Zofia Butrymowicz (1904-1987) was born in Warsaw, Poland. St...
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Wool
Handwoven Navajo Chief Blanket, Red & Brown Pattern, 69 x 53.5
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Chief Blanket with Brown, Red and White Pattern, crafted by an Unknown Navajo (Diné) Weaver, is a bold textile that draws inspiration from the Third Phase Chief’s blanket tradition, ...
Tapestry
$2,400Sale Price|42% Off
Soaring. 100x100cm, acrylic on canvas
By Olga Rikun
Located in Yerevan, AM
Soaring. 100x100cm
Canvas, Acrylic
$7,200
Geometric Abstraction Painting in Blue and Yellow, 2020, 130x110 cm, Acrylic
Located in Miami, FL
Geometric Abstraction Painting in Blue and Yellow, 2020, 130x110 cm, Acrylic This striking geometric abstract painting by Martín Pelenur presents a layered architectural composition...
Acrylic
Nick Thomm - STEMS (Azure) XL
By Nick Thomm
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm - 'STEMS' - (Azure) XL SIZE 92cm x 122cm 36" x 48" Limited Edition of #25 Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condit...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Black Poppies, Sept 7, 2022 (Ed: 23/50)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Donald Sultan is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He is particularly well-known for large-scale still life paintings, and one of the first to employ a wide range of ind...
Screen
"Aeriform" Mixed Media Kite
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago-based artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites crafted from split bamboo frames covered with stretched muslin and a collage of vintage Asian ephemera—including fragments ...
Muslin, Wood, Washi Paper, Pigment, Silk
I Was Once a Dweller of Paradise - Painting, Acrylic on wood
Located in London, GB
Neda Dana-Haeri I Was Once a Dweller of Paradise, 2025 Acrylic on wood 30 x 22 cm 11 3/4 x 8 5/8 in
Wood, Acrylic